Why participating in IkPas helps right now

You choose to participate in IkPas right now. A smart decision that, in addition to awareness of your alcohol habits, will give you physical and mental benefits. Because we prefer to keep our mental resilience in top condition at the moment. What about our mental well-being since the corona crisis? And what can you do to stay mentally fit?

They sometimes say: the last stretch weighs the heaviest. You read, hear and perhaps notice it around you. When will 'normal' life start again? What do we mean by all the trimmings? From theater visits to just walking in without a reservation, from throwing parties to kissing and cuddling people. That uncertainty gnaws and can have repercussions on your well-being.

To feel good. Or not?
Some combine working from home with caring for children, others spend long days outside the house, are afraid, miss social contacts or experience financial stress because work has been lost. Corona ensures that we sometimes feel less comfortable in our own skin and can experience feelings of stress or gloomy. Since April 2020, RIVM has been monitoring the mental well-being and lifestyle of almost 19,000 regular respondents at fixed times. Below you can read how they experience the corona crisis mentally and in terms of lifestyle.

Mental well-being and lifestyle during corona
These results are striking at the measurement moment of December 30 to January 3, 2021.
From the participants:

• 85% feels psychologically healthy. Of the young people (16-24 years) only 62% feels psychologically healthy, compared to 92% of the participants over 70 years.
• 13% feels stressed (very) often.
• 18% (very) often suffers from sleeping problems.
• indicates that 61% feels somewhat to strongly lonely.
• 72% misses being able to see family and friends in real life.
• 13% started drinking (much) more during the corona crisis, about 64% drinks as much as before and 23% started drinking (much) less.
• sports and exercise 45% (much) less than before the corona crisis.

Healthy living, good for your (mental) resilience
Quitting alcohol during a period when you may have an extra desire for relaxation may seem difficult. Yet that is exactly the reason to keep your break period full. Because while alcohol can initially give a feeling of relief in the event of stress, anxious or depressed feelings, it eventually strengthens gloomy feelings. This puts you at risk of ending up in a vicious circle where you drink away negative feelings for relaxation. And that while staying physically and mentally healthy is so important right now.

Tips to keep yourself mentally fit
Keeping yourself in good shape starts with not - or as little as possible - using substances such as alcohol or tobacco. As a result, you sleep better, you feel more rested and you can handle more mentally. Exercise and healthy eating are also part of a healthy lifestyle. That it is quite a challenge for many people to keep moving is apparent from the RIVM study: 45% of the participants started exercising and exercising (much) less during the corona crisis. So hop outside to stretch your legs and get some vitamin D.